Westlake Village Real Estate Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Thousand Oaks’

It began as an epiphany, became a passion and is now a multi-faceted business. Six years ago Thousand Oaks resident Stephanie Jaffe experienced a meal at Planet Raw Organic Restaurant, a Santa Monica raw foods vegan restaurant.  Already a long-term vegan and used to buying foods in bulk directly from a distributor, Jaffe wondered if she could use her purchasing power and palate to re-create delicious organic raw-food vegan raw meals. The task became her raison d-être.

Today Jaffe has a vertically integrated company:  She grows some of the food in her own yard, where she cultivates 65 fruit trees and a dozen herb plants. She develops recipes, prepares food and sells it from her home and online; she teaches classes and caters parties.  She also sells smaller quantities of her bulk purchases (25 pounds of nuts, for example, can go a long way, even when used in a lot of preparations). Jaffe prepares all of her recipes herself in her state-of-the-art kitchen, which, coincidentally, she designed.  She will even make deliveries to her local customers.

At first blush, a human diet of raw food sounds frankly, ridiculous, if not impossible. So sampling is in order. At a recent pot-luck dinner Jaffe contributed her marinara pea and green-bean pasta. “Delicious” is an understatement!  To be honest, some of the foods, such as this dish, require light cooking or steaming, no more than a minute in 110-degree water for this delicate Asian pasta. Other preparations – such as the “breads,” which look like Triscuits of different colors and shapes – consist mainly of dried seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables.

In the works, Jaffe reveals, is a new offering: the Weekly Box, which will likely be prepared foods for a family of four, for example, consisting of four complete meals for that week, at the reasonable price of about $70.

Jaffe is exuberant as she talks about her company. Frequently she refers to her product as “my food.” Now, however, her food can also be your food at www.rawliciousliving.com. Bon appétit!

Pictured below: granola, marinara pea pasta, hemp heart cookie, Jaffe teaching a class, untuna, veggie sun bread

Little Hudson stepped out into his yard early in the morning, as he usually did, at his home in North Ranch. And, as usual, his owner watched him more closely than he watched the three big dogs who lived there alongside Hudson, who is, after all, only 15 pounds of much-loved white fluff. Suddenly a great shadow loomed over Hudson: a red-tailed hawk, commanding a wingspan of three feet, swooped down to seize its breakfast. Only the dog’s owner’s quick hands saved him from a terrifying flight.

 It seems the hawk, along with Hudson and other family pets,  now resides in the vicinity of Fairway Ct. and Golf Course Dr., in North Ranch – a reminder that we all live within a few feet of wildness.

From the pages of “Traditional Home,” this Dos Vientos property at 482 Via Merlaexudes warm, charm and exceptional quality. Situated on a large flat lot on a cul-de-sac, it has been upgraded in every detail. Among its many amenities: crown molding and plantation shutter s throughout, walnut flooring on the first floor, custom built-ins in the library, family room, and two bedrooms, upgraded mantles on both fireplaces, organizers in the master closet, pantry and garages, and a high-gloss custom paint job throughout.

The kitchen features a large solid granite island, countertops and backsplash, and stainless-steel appliances. The master bath and upstairs laundry room have beveled Travertine flooring. Outside is a fully covered patio with a cedar-lined ceiling and custom lighting, a speaker/sound system, custom flagstone and painted concrete, and a state-of-the art outdoor low-voltage lighting system. Completing this picture of tranquil living at its best is a 4-car garage. Nearby is the top-rated Sycamore Canyon School.

Just move in and enjoy the comfortable life-style of scenic Dos Vientos in this gracious home!

$1,099,000. Listed with Sher Hann, Ewing & Associates Sotheby’s

Are unused medicines lurking in your medicine cabinet? If so, you are not alone. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 80% of our country’s waterways contain trace amounts of pharmaceutical wastes. The effect on humans is just now under the microscope, but we know there’s a negative impact on wildlife. We also know that 40% of drugs abused by kids come from the home of a friend or relative.

Now residents of Thousand Oaks have a remedy. They can take their unused meds to the Thousand Oaks Police Department and place them in a bin located in the lobby. Just remember to remove any personal information from the containers, and place liquid medicines in a sealed plastic bag to avoid leaks. For those unable to get to the Police Station, the City will provide envelopes at www.toaks.org/GoGreen. These envelopes can them be mailed to the Police Station:

City of Thousand Oaks
2101 E. Olsen Rd.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Note: The collection bin is not for needles! These should be placed in a the envelopes noted above and taken for disposal to Los Robles Hospital, to Los Robles Community Medical Group on Thousand Oaks Blvd. or to the City’s monthly Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program.

From the heart-shaped stone in the entry path to the infinity pool in the backyard, this spectacular single story offers abundant use of exquisite materials, as well as attention to detail. Surrounded by scenic countryside views on nearly two acres, this four bedroom estate home spans 5,200 square feet of living space. Beveled finished Travertine floors, wood-cased windows, arched doorways and high ceilings are among its architectural details. The gourmet kitchen, open to the family room, has distressed wood cabinets, custom finished European hardware, a center island, granite countertops, and a breakfast bar. The spacious master retreat offers amazing views and French doors leading to an outdoor patio. The incredible resort-style backyard features a pool with sheer descents and a cascading waterfall from the elevated spa. There is a natural stone outdoor fireplace, large grassy yard, a covered veranda, and custom outdoor lighting. Pastoral and mountain views complete this serene setting. Listed by Nicki LaPorta and Karen Crystal, Ewing & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty. $1,750,000

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Nowadays, we hear a lot about branding – not of cattle but of companies, service providers and the like. Now Thousand Oaks is buying a new brand for its publications and website.

The new look is not without controversy, primarily because it has cost money from public funds. After the City Council rejected an $89,000 bid from a Nashville firm, which included extensive community research about updating the city’s visual brand, the public information office decided to allot funds from its own budget. At a trimmed down cost of $25,000, a local company, Mustang Marketing, designed a new logo for the city’s publications, signs and website.

The city plans to start using its new look in April.

The Glass Is Half Empty

The median price of homes in Ventura County is 35% below the peak in 2006. Thousand Oaks is off peak by 30%, while Westlake Village and Agoura Hills are off by 20 from Dec. 2006 to Dec. 2009. Moorpark and Simi Valley are both off around 35%.

With federal home-buying incentives set to end in April, the budding housing market could be nipped.
Given the budget deficit and the lack of federal stimulus money, unemployment could jump again. And jobs shipped overseas may never come back.

The Glass Is Half Full

The housing market has stabilized and more gains are expected. Housing usually is the first indicator that a recession is ending.

Distressed sales are being absorbed as fast as they hit the market.

Ventura County’s median sales price is 15% higher than a year ago.

Locally, temporary unemployment is up, with the hope being that some temporary work will lead to full-time employment.

Thousand Oak retails sales are better than expected.

The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall has some of the best sales in the country.

While this is the worst recession since the Great Depression, we are, in the words of Cal State Channel Islands professor Sung Won Sohn, “beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

P.S. from Sher: In the Acorn articles I read about these two forums, there was no mention of the “shadow” inventory – the many homes that are in distress either as short-sales or bank-owned properties that are not on the market. But given the low supply of homes and condos on the market – only about 550 homes currently in the Conejo Valley, compared with 1300 by mid-2006 – it’s easy to believe many of these will be absorbed by demand. Currently, as Mark Boud of Irvine-based Real Estate Economics, said, “We’re burning off distressed sales faster than we’re creating them.”